Medical care inflation up in 1999

Prescription drugs and medical supplies charges rose 6.1 percent in 1999, compared with 4.9 percent in 1998. In recent years, there has been a large increase in demand for prescription drugs, in part due to the increased advertising by pharmaceutical companies directly to consumers.

The hospital services index rose 5.1 percent in 1999 and dental services charges were up 4.6 percent. Physician’s fees increased by just 2.6 percent, about the same as the increase in the all items CPI (2.7 percent).

Self-employment in the United States
Trends in self-employment by various demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, including both the unincorporated and the incorporated self-employed, as well as data on paid employees who work for the self-employed.